TMNT: Of Lizards and Turtles
by GigisRealm
Summary: This is a revamped version of Mona Lisa's back story. Raphael brings home a strange mutant lizard one night. The turtles learn of her past and try to cure her, but her mutated form prevents her from ever being human again. Set in the 2003 realm.
1. Ch 1: New Friends

**Ever since I saw a clip of 1987 TMNT about Mona Lisa's back story, I've been wanting to write my own version. The 80's version was very cheesy and predictable, so going off the 2003 style a bit, I've written down my own version. Enjoy!**

* * *

TMNT: Of Lizards and Turtles

**Chapter 1: New Friends**

Something wasn't right; she knew it. She tried pushing herself up off the ground, but she was too weak. She sank back to the hard surface, struggling to breathe. Why was it so hard to breathe?

Opening her eyes, she realized her soaked and matted hair covered her face. Feebly moving it aside, her eyes moved over her surroundings. It was dark out; only a plain street light shone in the distance. Ah light! Where there's light, there will be people, she thought. She could get some help, and then get back home. Gathering up whatever strength she possessed, she dragged herself with much effort toward that light.

But not everything goes as planned. The closer she came to the light, she began to hear pathetic screams. It sounded like 'monster.' Monster?! Everything seemed surreal as the people around her shrieked and scattered.

"…I…I'm not…a monster," she rasped in a shaky voice. But no one listened. They continued avoiding her as if she were some disease. She swore at one point she heard someone call the police. Well, maybe the police would help, she thought. They would see she wasn't a monster.

But that little wish was in vain. The police arrived shortly after the call was made; but something else happened. She heard more panicked screams as she felt herself being lifted off the ground by a strong arm. It was almost like a human arm, but it wasn't. The skin against her body felt rather scaly.

_Wait a minute,_ she thought. _Where's my clothing?_

She had no time to feel embarrassed, for she instantly slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Something still didn't feel right. When she woke up, she thought she might have been having a bad dream before. She opened her eyes, and it was dark again, but this time with a nasty smell. She wanted to sit up, but there was no strength left in her. A chill went through her body, making her shake pitifully.

"So yer awake," said a manly voice in a Brooklyn accent. "Thought you were dying back there."

A soft squeaky moan escaped her lips. _Who is this guy?_ She wondered. _And what is that smell?_

"Can't talk yet," the man said half to himself. Or was it a man? "Welp, better get you to my place. My brother will examine ya in his lab."

She moaned again, still too weak to answer. The "man" lifted her in his strong muscular arms and began trudging his way through the darkness. Eventually, they came to a lighter area of the tunnel. As the light illuminated the person carrying her, she realized this was no man. It was a giant green thing with a yellowish colored chest. Her eyes wandered over to her legs. Green skin? Maybe it was just the light. The illusion would go away at some point.

"Hey Donnie!" the green creature called. "I got something for ya!"

_Who's Donnie?_ She thought. Another green creature approached, though his skin was more olive in tone; the one who rescued her had emerald-colored skin.

"Watcha got – whoa…!" said Donnie, taken aback. "What the…?"

The emerald green creature rolled his eyes. "Skip the drama, Donnie, and just take care of her!"

Donnie made a disgusted noise and took her into his arms. She looked over at the one who rescued her and saw he wore a red mask; his piercing eyes were golden in color.

As Donnie carried her to his special medical area, she couldn't decide whether to be frightened or grateful. Sure, the emerald-green one rescued her, but what if there was malicious intent? She wanted to struggle free – to run from this place and get back home. She fidgeted a little and groaned in an attempt to speak; but Donnie tightened his hold on her.

"Shh," he whispered in her ear. "It's okay. We won't hurt you."

She looked up at Donnie through half-closed eyes. As she focused curiously on his face, her stomach bottomed out. This giant thing looked kind of like a turtle. His large soft brown eyes gazed gently into hers; they were full of compassion and a kind of brilliance that the red-masked one didn't have. For an instant, she almost fell in love with those eyes.

Her moment of enchantment was cut short when Donnie set her down on a cot. Reluctantly, she lay down and tried to relax herself, breathing a shallow sigh.

"Atta girl," Donnie said softly, rubbing her shoulder approvingly. "Hang on a sec; we'll get you something to eat." The purple-banded turtle straightened up and turned to his taller golden-eyed sibling.

"Since you enjoy being ticky with me, Raphael," Donnie began, "you get to help me take care of her."

"Oh yeah?" Raph challenged. "You can't make me!"

Donnie all but felt his blood boil. His face turned hard, and his eyes bored into Raphael with such a fierceness that made the latter cringe. Raph had to admit, he was a wuss when it came to dealing with Donnie's temper.

"Okay, okay, fine!" Raph caved. "What do ya need me to do?"

* * *

"Hey Leo! Come check this out!"

"What is it, Mikey?" Leo rolled his eyes. He had just been interrupted for the fifteenth time – or was it the sixteenth – while trying to meditate in his room. Meditating would have to wait until Mikey was sound asleep.

"Raph's helping Donnie!" Mikey said excitedly, practically jumping up and down in the doorway.

"…You had to bug me for that?!" Leo snapped.

"But there's more to it!" Mikey urged.

Leo huffed. "Like what?"

"Like Raph found some lizard girl and brought her home!"

"What?!" Leo jumped to his feet.

"Yeah, come on!" Mikey beckoned. "I'll show you!"

When they arrived in the medical area – which Mikey fondly referred to as 'Doctor Donnie's Office' – Leo couldn't believe the sight before him. There, on the cot, was a female lizard with long brown hair, and a very thick, flowing tail. It was obvious that she was a human before, as was evident by her womanly figure. Donatello was preparing something at his little "doctor's table"; it looked like a needle. Raphael stood nearby in a guard-like pose, keeping an eye on the girl.

"What do ya think, bro?" Mikey bubbled.

"Fascinating," Leo said half sarcastically. "Very fascinating."

"And what are you two bozos doing?" Raph muttered, approaching his brothers.

"Checking out your hot date!" said Mikey.

"Mikey!" Leo growled, making his little brother cringe. Straightening himself up, Leo continued. "So what's the story, Raph? Where'd you find her?"

"Found her in an alleyway," Raph said plainly. "Actually, more like halfway in the open; people were calling her a monster – and screaming and running like idiots. You know, the usual behavior towards a mutant."

Leo looked at Raph thoughtfully. The former's thoughts were interrupted when a high-pitched scream pierced the air, causing the brothers to jump. When they turned around, they saw Donnie with a needle, and the lizard girl curled up like a newborn baby on the cot, her eyes wide with fear.

"It's okay," Donnie reassured, putting his hand on her shoulder. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

The lizard still stared at Donnie, her frightened blue eyes wider than before.

"Then…what's that needle for?" she said somewhat clearer.

"Just blood samples," Donnie said nonchalantly.

She gasped.

"Hey, it's not as bad as you think," Donnie continued encouraging her. "All you'll feel is a little pinch, and it's done."

The lizard's mind went blank. "…That's what they told me before," she said quietly. That sentence alone brought Raphael, Leo, and Mikey closer to the cot, their interest peaked. Donnie, however, seemed more concerned than the rest; his voice was caught in his throat for a second.

"…Who's they?" he asked softly.

"The…the scientists…" A small sob escaped; she covered her face as tears began to flow down her petite green face. Donnie wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace as her body shook pathetically with sobs.

"There, there," Donnie whispered into her hair. "Calm down now. Everything will be fine."

"…No," she whispered. "No…! Get off of me!" she screamed, pushing Donnie off of her body. She sat up, staring in fright, ready to jump off the cot and run. All four turtles stared in surprise at the lizard girl.

Finding his voice, Donnie spoke. "It's okay," he said, extending his hand towards her. "Please, just stay where you are. We don't bite…except for Raph maybe."

"Hey!"

The lizard screamed and retracted. "Keep your hands off of me!" she panicked, swiping Donnie's hand away.

"Dude, we should just leave her alone for a while," Mikey suggested. "She obviously doesn't know what's going on, ya know?"

"Mikey has a point, Don," Leo joined in.

The taller purple-masked turtle sighed. "I guess," he said, feeling a bit exasperated. "But one of us should stay nearby in case she tries to run for it."

"I'll guard her!" Mikey volunteered.

Donnie glared. "You?"

"It'll be fine," Mikey said dismissively. "Besides, Raph is too intimidating and might frighten her more."

"He's got a point," Leo said.

"Okay, all right!" Donnie burst. "Mikey, you may watch our new friend here. I'll enhance the security outside the lair." The genius walked away without saying anything more.

"Thanks for sticking up for me, Fearless," Raph snorted.

Leo scoffed and went back to his room.

"Are you leaving yet?" Mikey addressed Raph.

The emerald-green turtle growled and also left. With his brothers gone, Mikey turned to the lizard.

"Hello again," he said good-naturedly.

The lizard shrank back again and hugged her knees, still frightened by the giant mutant turtle standing before her.

"You're still pulling the scared-of-a-mutant bit?" Mikey said irritably. The lizard girl simply looked at him.

The turtle sighed. "Are you at least going to talk to me without freaking out?"

The lizard put her head down on her knees, remaining silent.

Mikey crossed his arms over his chest. "It's gonna be a long night," he muttered.

* * *

And a long night it was. Guarding the frightened lizard girl was very boring, as she couldn't bring herself to speak. Every attempt to relax herself was futile, for every time she tried to be calm, panic overcame her. She wasn't all that hungry, even though her stomach growled a few times.

At one point, Donnie came in to check on the situation. The lizard girl gasped upon seeing the olive-green turtle, which only made him shake his head and sigh. A simple look from Mikey told the genius everything he needed to know. Don nodded and turned back to his work in the lab.

The night continued, no less exhausting. Mikey had seated himself at the head of the cot, half expecting the lizard to jump off and escape. Fortunately, his position deterred the long-tailed reptile from doing anything of the sort. Some time passed before the lizard finally lay down and gave in to sleep. Hearing no other noise except for soft breathing, Mikey also closed his eyes and drifted into slumber.

Donnie worked until the late hours of the night before he strolled into the medical area to check on Mikey and the lizard girl. He smiled at the sight of the two of them asleep. Quietly tip-toeing to one of the cabinets, Don pulled out two blankets, making every effort to close the door as silently as possible. Tip-toeing back, he placed one blanket on his younger brother and the other over the lizard. Chuckling softly, he dimmed the lights in the lair, and went to his room. The turtle removed his mask and gear, and crawled into his bed, pulling the blanket over. The minute his head touched the pillow, he slipped into unconsciousness.

An ear-piercing scream split the air in the turtles' home, startling them from their slumber. Donnie was the first to race downstairs to the medical area. There, he found Mikey trying to comfort the lizard girl.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Mikey asked softly as he rubbed her shoulder.

"What's that movement under the blanket?!" the girl said in a panicked voice.

Looking at the blanket, Mikey's mouth twitched; he lifted the cover and realized what it was.

"That's only your tail moving," he said nonchalantly.

"My what?!"

Mikey looked perplexed. "Uh, you didn't know lizards have tails?"

"Lizard…?" Now it was the girl's turn to be puzzled. "No, I'm not a lizard. I'm a human, see?" She lifted her hand to show Mikey that everything about her was normal; but upon seeing her hand, she started to pant, and yet another scream escaped her lips. Bringing her other hand up, she hoped with every fiber of her being that at least that one would be normal. When the other one came into view, the lizard couldn't believe what she saw: both of her hands were a textured greenish color with webbing in between the fingers. How was this even possible? Looking over her body, she was horrified by her appearance: a yellowish color graced her chest and abdomen, and the tail she felt before was big and long. Lifting her eyes, she gazed at Mikey.

"What is going on?" she asked.

"I was gonna ask you that," Mikey answered.

The lizard looked at her body again, still in utter disbelief as to what was happening. "This isn't a dream, is it?" she asked worriedly.

"Unfortunately, no," Donnie answered instead.

Mikey and the lizard girl looked up. The sight of Donnie made the lizard sit up straight, and she would have backed off the cot had Mikey not caught her.

"You again!" she exclaimed, glaring at the genius. "Keep away from me, you rotten-"

Mikey covered her mouth quickly. "No more of that," he scolded. "Donnie's a good guy. You need to trust him, okay?"

Despite her apprehension to the olive-green mutant, the lizard girl slowly nodded her head.

"That's better," Mikey smiled, rubbing her shoulder. Turning to his brother, he said, "Your turn, Don."

Donnie cleared his throat. "As I was saying: No, it's not a dream," he continued, walking up to the cot. "If it was a dream, you would have been back at home already."

The lizard felt her insides shrink. She gulped, not knowing what to say.

"…What time is it anyway?" Mikey said.

"It's almost 5 AM," Donnie said flatly, "a time when most folks are asleep."

"Well, for the record," the lizard stammered, "this…mutant thing is kind of new to me. You wouldn't know what it's like."

Mikey and Donnie simply stared. The olive-green turtle came close to the lizard's face. "Then _you_…have a lot to learn yet."

The lizard's brow lowered, a new fire entering her eyes. "Get _out_ of my face!" she snapped, pushing Don's face harshly.

The large turtle snorted. "You've got some nerve!"

"Um, guys," Mikey interrupted. "This isn't entirely the best way to start."

"I would advise you to stay out of it, Mikey," Don said in a low voice. The younger turtle was annoyed by his brother's tone. "Besides, no one made you the expert in dealing with new mutants."

Mikey snarled viciously, and his anger took control, directing his fist straight towards Donnie's jaw. The force of the punch sent the larger turtle to the floor, knocking him out of his senses. The blue-eyed turtle stood for a moment, his body stiff and his hand curled so tight, his knuckles nearly turned white. He sighed, letting go of the anger; his fist slowly uncurled. Turning back to the lizard, he said, "Sorry you had to see that. Donnie…he tends to get a little feisty."

"I see this," said the lizard.

Mikey took a deep breath. "So…do you want to sleep now? Or would you prefer to eat something?"

"I don't know," the lizard shrugged. "I'm kinda tired…but I _am_ pretty hungry."

"Okay then," Mikey's eyes brightened a little. "How about this: you eat, and then you can crash out for a few hours."

"Um…sure," said the lizard girl. "That's fine."

"Great!" Mikey said excitedly. "Are you able to walk okay?"

"Hmmm…" The girl slid her legs over the side of the cot; inhaling, she attempted to stand up, but she was too weak, as she about lost her balance and toppled. Mikey quickly caught her and supported her in his strong arms. For a moment, the two stared into each other's eyes. Mikey's baby-blue eyes mesmerized the mutant lizard; and the girl's sapphire blue eyes caused the turtle to lose his focus on reality. They continued gazing into each other's being before Mikey brought himself and the lizard back to the real world.

"So, uh…" the turtle began, clearing his throat. "Would you like to eat now?"

"Y…yeah," the lizard shook her head, blinking rapidly. "Yeah…" she cleared her throat, feeling a tad awkward.

Supporting the lizard's back with one arm, Mikey slid his other arm under her knees and carried her to the kitchen. The girl was flattered by the service she received. It wasn't every day something like this happened. Stepping into the kitchen, Mikey gently set her down in the long seat that surrounded the table.

"Okay then," Mikey gleamed. "What is your favorite breakfast?"

"Mmm," the girl hummed thoughtfully. "I like French Toast."

"I can do that," Mikey returned graciously. "Would you like sausage with that? Or bacon?"

"Bacon is my preference," she said. "I don't like it too crispy, though."

"All right," the turtle replied. "And what about drinks? Would you like orange juice, or milk?"

"Milk, please."

"I can do that too!"

The girl giggled. She had to admit, these turtles weren't all that bad; especially not this one. Mikey smiled in response and happily went about the kitchen, preparing the girl's breakfast. The smell emanating from the food made the girl's stomach rumble. The urge to inhale the scent was overwhelming, but she refrained, for she often upset her stomach by breathing in too much of a food scent. Her friend once told her it was a psychological thing, but the lizard knew better.

A few moments later, Mikey briskly came over with the girl's breakfast, setting it down on the table. Quickly, he went to the drawers to get a fork, a knife, and a napkin. After that, he brought her the milk and the syrup.

"Why thank you!" the lizard said, feeling very flattered now.

"It was a pleasure!" Mikey said proudly.

The girl smiled and, buttering and pouring lots of syrup over the toast began to eat. Her eyes lit up when she tasted it.

"Mmmm!" she hummed heartily. "This is so _good_! What did you put in it?"

"Can't tell you," Mikey grinned with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "It's my own secret recipe."

"Would you like to make some for us?" Raph said suddenly.

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! Please leave reviews and tell me what you think! :)**


	2. Ch 2: The College Student

**Now we move on with chapter 2! To the person asking if Mona was Raph's girl, yes she was/is. For this story, I'm throwing a funny, more natural twist to Mona and Raph's interest in each other. I won't tell you about it, you'll just have to read it. ) Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 2: The College Student **

Mikey whirled around, startled by his brother's sudden appearance. Leo was also standing there.

"Dude, you scared me!" Mikey snapped.

"No kidding," Raph said sarcastically.

Mikey huffed. "I guess I'll make _you_ guys breakfast now." He turned around and said with an attitude, "Oh, and good morning to you _both_!"

The lizard, however, found the spectacle amusing. A soft giggle escaped her lips. Leo seated himself next to the lizard; his eyes sparkled in amusement.

"And what's so funny?" he grinned quirkily.

"Oh, nothing," the girl said dismissively as she continued eating. "Nothing at all." A smiled tugged at the corners of her mouth, as Leo noticed. The blue-masked turtle chuckled a bit, prompting the girl to laugh. Covering her mouth, she gulped down her food, and gave in to the laughter fits. Being a regular smart aleck, Raph approached the table and leaned on it.

"Great way to begin the morning," he winked at the lizard. "We should start every day like this."

The lizard burst into laughter, which spread to the two other turtles. None of them knew why they were laughing; it was just fun. Sometimes, laughing with no real purpose can be very entertaining and lighten your heart.

The laughter continued until Mikey brought breakfast to the table.

"Why were you guys laughing?" he asked, very perplexed.

"Just…'cuz," Leo shrugged.

Mikey thought nothing of it and set the large platter down on the table. "There's more if you want some," he said to the girl.

"Thank you," she smiled.

Raphael and Mikey took their seats – Raph sitting next to the girl – and served themselves. The girl was astonished by the amount the three turtles took: five slices of French toast each with as many as six pieces of bacon on each plate. How could they eat so much? She wondered. Then she realized their overall size. Such creatures had fairly big stomachs to fill. She was glad she wasn't as big as they were; she could never imagine eating so much food.

They all ate in silence – as males tend to inhale their food most of the time. Once they all finished, they leaned back in their seat and sighed.

"Thanks, Mikey," Leo said first. "It was delicious!"

"Any time, bro," Mikey replied.

"So," said the lizard. "I'm curious as to what your full names are. I believe I caught yours," she said to Raph. "It's 'Raphael,' right?"

"Correct," Raph responded.

"Nice! What's your name?" she addressed the orange-masked turtle.

"Michelangelo."

"And yours?" she said to Leo.

"Leonardo."

"Oh, such neat names!" said the lizard, highly pleased by the sound of the names. "They were famous artists!" she added excitedly.

"That's right!" Raph confirmed.

"What about the purple-masked turtle?"

The brothers stopped for a moment. In the excitement, they hadn't noticed Don was missing.

"Where _is_ Don?" Leo asked.

"I don't know," said Mikey. "Sleeping?"

"Not at this hour…!" Leo retorted. "I'm gonna go find him!" He instantly rose up from his seat and left the kitchen. Walking across the lair, Leo spotted a green body lying on the floor in the medical area.

"Don!" he shouted, racing to his brother's side. "Don, wake up!" Leo said frantically, shaking the olive-green turtle. Don stirred a little and slowly opened his eyes.

"Leo…?" he said, squinting. "What happened?"

"I don't know. Mikey said you were sleeping."

Donnie blinked. "…Oh no…"

"'Oh no' what?"

"…Mikey hit me."

"Why?!"

"…I uh…"

Leo grabbed Don's shoulders and forced him upright. "Don, tell me right now," he said harshly, "what happened?!"

Don stared for a moment, a bit disturbed by his brother's hard glare. "I…I got testy…"

Leo's mouth pressed into a thin line. There was no need for his brother to say anything more; he already guessed what led to Donnie lying on the floor – and it wasn't just Mikey's punch.

"…Don?" Leo began in an edgy tone. "Go get ready for the day. After you finish breakfast, you and Mike come see me in Splinter's room. And don't take forever either!"

Donnie made no reply, for he was stunned at Leo's harshness. The eldest had been a bit strict with disciplining his siblings before, but never like this. Leo let go of his brother's shoulders, the latter slinking off like a coward to his room. He knew what was coming.

* * *

Donnie and Mikey's sentences had been set: both of them were grounded from going to the surface for ten days. Training runs were to be done with Leo or Splinter in the sewers only; Raphael couldn't be counted on to enforce the rules as he was a master rule-bender himself. The two youngest turtles dreaded the idea, but they had no choice but to obey.

After the two left Splinter's room, they hardly spoke to each other for the whole day, let alone look at each other. They mostly kept to themselves and never dared to speak to their other family members. The lizard girl was a bit surprised at the disciplinary action that took place in this home, and the drastic change in attitude from Mikey. She had never seen anything like it. Then again, males were a strange sort, in her mind. She never understood their way of thinking and dealing with certain situations. Throughout the day, she could barely talk to Mikey, for he was in a sulky mood every time he came around. Conversing with Donnie was pointless, considering the lizard already disliked him. The only ones left to talk to were Leo and Raph, except Raph was still a bit intimidating and she felt slightly nervous in his presence.

Strolling through the lair at about mid-morning, the girl heard a few voices. They were forceful sounds full of frustration. As she rounded the area around the lab, she realized what was happening: in the more open part of this home, she saw the four turtles sparring – or was it fighting? Her interest peaked, she moved a bit closer, but took care to stay to the side, so as to avoid a potential injury. She watched their movements closely. Donnie was the most brutal in his attacks. Obviously, he wasn't treating this as sparring. Something in him – a kind of rage – fueled his punches, kicks, and knee jabs. It wasn't very pleasing to view, as Leo had taken several hits that made him wince. The lizard became quite concerned.

"Do you find this entertaining, my dear?" said a soft old voice.

When the lizard looked up, her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. An enormous scream escaped her lips, and she ducked behind the nearest object she could find – which was behind a weight-lifting machine. The turtles stopped their fighting and stared at their master, a rat about half the size of the reptiles.

"Was it something I said?" the rat asked, utterly bewildered.

"Well, for one thing," Raph said, peeking behind the machine, "she moves pretty fast."

The lizard's body shook considerably as she panted, which drew a stifled laugh from Raphael. He found the girl's frightened behavior highly amusing.

"What is so funny, my son?" said the old rat.

The turtle turned to his father. "Nothing," he said quickly, fighting back the urge to grin. "Just…nothing!" Purposely turning back to the lizard, he allowed the laughter to take over.

"This is not funny!" the lizard snapped.

"It's hilarious!" Raph giggled.

"Oh, I **HATE** you!" the girl yelled, striking the turtle's shoulder. Of course, the hit didn't faze him, and he laughed harder.

His brothers and father observed with deadpan expressions. After a minute, Mikey spoke up.

"Oooookay…? Can we move on with life now?"

"That would be nice," Leo said flatly.

Donnie only snorted. He was in no mood for funnies and would rather have continued sparring – pardon me, fighting.

"Stop laughing!" the girl bellowed, her body stiff and straight. Raphael tried his best to quell the laughing fits. He would have been successful had not the laughter taken over again.

"UGH!" the girl grunted loudly. "Boys! They don't help matters!"

"Learn to laugh a little, will ya?" said Raph, slapping her heartily on the back.

It would be rather long and pointless to describe in full detail the highly amusing fight that ensued between the laughing turtle and the fuming lizard. The more the lizard beat Raphael up, the harder he laughed. However, his brothers weren't interested nor were they in the least bit amused. As the long-tailed and shelled reptiles continued their silly altercation, the three other turtles went on with their sparring session.

* * *

The intense emotions eventually were calmed. The lizard and Donnie had released all their anger on their respective "victims." Leo had more bruises than he could count; therefore, as a means to make up, Donnie had to care for his brother. Mikey's cheerfulness slowly returned; the usual mischievous gleam in his baby blue eyes. After the petty fight with Raph, the lizard ignored him – but even that had the opposite effect on the golden-eyed turtle. She instead preferred to converse with Mikey, considering he was easy to talk to and get along with.

She found the orange-masked turtle lounging on the sofa watching random sitcoms on TV. He constantly flipped through the channels, for he found the jokes to be very boring. Leo was also on the couch, leaning his head back on some cushions and trying to rest. His brow was creased, as if in pain – which he was, unfortunately – and this concerned the lizard. She wanted to tend to him but wondered if that would worsen the situation. Males could be quite cranky when it came to dealing with injuries, and often refused any sort of help.

After flipping through countless channels, Mikey finally turned the TV off. Leo noticed.

"Too much for you?" he muttered.

"Yeah," Mikey sighed.

"Oh…!"

Mikey looked up. "What?"

"It's our gorgeous lizard friend," Leo smiled.

The girl felt flattered by Leo's compliment. "Oh please," she said. "I'm not gorgeous."

Both brothers chuckled.

"Yes you are!" Mikey piped up. "Now come! Sit by us." He straightened himself up and patted the empty cushion between him and Leo.

"Why thank you," she said gratefully, taking the seat.

"Here," said Mikey, reaching for a bag on the sofa table. "Have some potato chips."

"Oh my," said the girl, her eyes lighting up. "You guys really know how to treat a girl like royalty." Then she munched on the crunchy snacks. "Except for that bull-headed brother of yours," she added with disgust.

"Hey, ignore Raph for right now," said the orange-masked turtle. "I want to have a decent conversation with you."

"Sure," she answered. "What about?"

"Oh, like where you're from, what your name is, where you go to school," said Mikey nonchalantly. "You know…the typical conversational questions and answers."

"All right then," the girl smiled a little shyly. "Where should I begin?"

"You can start with your name."

The lizard cleared her throat. "My name is Lindsay. Lindsay McIntire."

"Ooh!" said the two brothers at once, impressed by the name.

"That's such a cool name!" said Mikey. "'Lindsay McIntire,'" he repeated.

Lindsay chuckled. "Thanks! Do you guys have a last name?"

"Hamato," Leo answered this time.

"How interesting!" said the lizard. "That's Japanese. Huh. Italian first names with a Japanese last name. Unusual…but very fascinating…!"

"You sound pretty intelligent," Mikey continued. "Are you in school at all?"

Lindsay sighed – a little sadly. "I _was_ in school – college, actually. My major is in physics."

"Oh man!" said Mikey. "You should hang out with Donnie. He knows all about that stuff!"

The girl cast a withering glance at the turtle. "Another day," she said, her eyes narrowed.

"Ooohhh, right."

"So how old are you, Lindsay?" Leo asked.

"I'm four months shy of nineteen," she answered. "And what about you guys?"

"We're all fifteen," said Mikey.

Lindsay raised her eyebrows. "All of you?"

"Yep!" confirmed the orange-masked turtle. "We're quadruplets."

"Wow…!"

"Lindsay, I'm curious about something," Leo spoke up. "How exactly did you end up a mutant?"

The lizard stared for a moment, as if in shock. Mikey leaned forward, peering into her face to see if she was okay. "Lindsay?"

"I was hoping you guys wouldn't ask," she said. "But…I may as well."

"Take your time," Leo encouraged.

Lindsay took a deep breath. "It was a normal day of the week: attend one course, go home, do some homework. Usually I like to walk the streets after dinner and do some window shopping before all the stores close. My apartment is located in a more desolate area of the city. The street I live on is generally very dark." She paused, shuddering to tell the next part. "My mom had neglected to put the light on above the side door of the building."

* * *

_Lindsay reached into her pocketbook for her little handy flashlight. But when she turned it on, a pair of hands grabbed her by the mouth, forcing her to fight for her life. Another set of hands fastened on her wrists; two more on her ankles._

_"Quick! Tie her up!" commanded a gruff voice. _

_The girl struggled to break free, but the strangers instantly forced her to the pavement, binding her hands and feet with thick ropes, and tying a cloth tightly around her mouth. Lindsay panicked; it was too dark. Even the moon's light did little to enable her to see what was going on. Her flashlight had already been broken, so there was no hope of having light._

_Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted onto one of the strangers' shoulders._

* * *

"Screaming would not have helped," Lindsay said forlornly. "I was in such a state of trauma, I couldn't think clearly."

"So what did you do?" Mikey asked, becoming further horrified.

"I waited," she answered, "for the right moment. But…as you can see now…it never came."

* * *

_After a long grueling twenty minutes on the man's shoulders, she was dropped in front of a deserted building. At least, it looked that way. _

_"This is it…!" said the leader hoarsely. "Quick, man! Let the boss know we're here!"_

_"On it…!"_

_From what Lindsay could hear, the third man climbed onto some boxes and rapped on a window. A few seconds later, a door opened. Her heart pounded with fright. She longed to know what was really happening. _

_"Hurry up!" said the boss, "Before you're discovered!"_

_Once again, the girl was lifted up and rushed into the building. She listened hopelessly as the door closed behind. There was no escape now – at least, not without proper lighting. A switch was flipped, and lights came on in the building, blinding the girl momentarily. She blinked rapidly, trying to hide her face. When her eyes adjusted to the light, she was utterly horrified to see that these men were wearing lab coats, and that they had brought her to a secret laboratory._

* * *

"I can guess where this is going," Mikey muttered.

"So what happened?" Leo asked.

"They, um…they…" Lindsay covered her face with her hands, choking back sobs.

Mikey rubbed her back while Leo gently stroked her arm. It took a minute for Lindsay to regain her composure.

"They were using me as a test subject," she said slowly.

"For what?" asked Mikey.

She looked at the turtle, a petrified look on her face. "They were doing it for a school project – to show that they could successfully turn humans into animals. And they were going to show me off at their school's annual science fair."

Leo's jaw dropped; Mikey rubbed his eyes with his hand.

"Need we ask what else they did?" Raph said from behind. Lindsay jumped and whipped her head around.

"Oh, it's _you_," she said moodily, her eyes narrow.

"Do we really need to know?" Mikey muttered.

Lindsay pushed herself back into the couch. "I'd…I'd rather not talk about it right now."

Silence fell on the reptiles – a tense, awkward silence – before anyone dared to speak.

"…I think I need a nap," said Lindsay with a light yawn.

Mikey looked up and tried to smile. "Would you like to sleep on the couch, or in one of our rooms?"

"I'd prefer a bed," said the lizard girl.

"Bed it is…!" said Mikey. "You can sleep in my room, if you want."

"Why thank you," Lindsay's face lit up. "How kind…!"

"Great!" Mikey jumped up. "Hang on while I change the sheets. It'll just be a few minutes."

Lindsay chuckled. "Sure…!"

Mikey quickly exited the living room, leaving behind a pleased female friend and two stunned brothers.

"I have _never_ seen him act like that," Raph spoke up.

"How _does_ he act?" questioned Lindsay.

"Like a goofball most of the time," Raph answered.

"Really…!" said Lindsay. "You'd never know."

"Well, that's up for debate," Leo grinned.

* * *

"Okay, bed's ready!" Mikey announced.

"Oh good!" Lindsay sighed, stretching as she rose off the couch. "Time for my beauty sleep."

"Like _you_ need beauty sleep?" Raph grinned slyly.

Lindsay glared. "Oh you!" she said moodily and followed Mikey to his room.

When they entered the room, Mikey explained everything. "Okay, sheets and pillowcase are clean. Oh, and so is the blanket. I don't know how long you want to sleep, but there's an alarm clock there on my nightstand if you-"

He was stopped by a finger on his mouth. "Shush," Lindsay said, her eyes gleaming. "You're a sweet boy, Mikey. I appreciate what you've done so far."

Mikey laughed nervously. "Um," he began, not knowing what else to say. "Do you like the door closed?"

"That would be great," she smiled. She turned away and lay down on the bed. "Ooh! This is comfy."

"G-great!" the turtle stuttered. "I'll let you sleep now."

Lindsay chuckled as Mikey stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. Once outside the room, he breathed a sigh of relief. _That was awkward,_ he thought. A trickle of sweat moved down his forehead. Then he realized that he had broken into a cold sweat. Was he falling in love with this long-tailed, reptilian beauty?

* * *

**So what is going on with Mikey? Seems he's being a typical ladies' man! XD Once again, tell me what you think! **


	3. Ch 3: Romance and Secrets

**Hey, I'm back! It's been a while since I've been able to get back to this story. I had been planning to finish it some point last week, but with the sudden loss of my cat, Koshka, I was a mess. Getting back into the swing of things hasn't been easy. I thought if I could at least finish this chapter - since it was almost done - that would be a good start. **

**So now we pick up from where we saw Mikey experiencing some romantic feelings. And we explore more of Donatello's attitude and why he's so...well, nasty. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Romance and Secrets**

"Dude, you broke into a cold sweat," said Donatello as he felt Mikey's arm.

"Me?" the blue-eyed turtle responded, making like he didn't know anything.

"Not to mention, your face is slightly red."

"Is it?"

Donnie crossed his arms over his chest. "What is going on with you?"

"What do you mean?"

The purple-masked turtle rolled his eyes and huffed. "Quit playing dumb!" he snapped.

"Whoa, okay! Easy, bro!" Mikey said defensively, putting up his hands. "None of that snapping turtle stuff."

"I'll give you a snapping turtle," Don growled.

"Hey, hey, hey!" said Raphael, approaching his two brothers. "Thought you two were getting along."

"Yeah, well," said Don. "_Some_one is making that quite difficult." He glared at Mikey, who made a face out of disgust.

"Welp! You better figure out how to make peace," Raph said. "Besides, we have a guest in our home, remember?"

"Oh yeah," said Don sarcastically. "I forgot about that."

_Pssh! What an attitude,_ thought Mikey.

The sarcasm irritated Raph; he gripped Donnie's bandanna tails so tightly, Don felt the mask tighten. "That's enough out of you!" the former growled in his brother's face. "Show some more respect!" He let go, and added, "I'll be with Leo if you need me."

With that, he walked off to the living room. Mike and Don stood there for a moment in awkward silence.

"You're not mad at me still, are you?" Mikey spoke first.

"Maybe," Donnie drawled. "Maybe not."

"You know something?" Mikey challenged. "You're worse than Raph!"

"Excuse me?" Don said shortly.

"You heard right! You better get rid of that attitude soon."

"Or?"

"I'll tell Master Splinter," Mikey threatened.

If looks could kill, Mikey would have been melted right then and there. "Dude, what's with the evil glare?"

Donnie didn't answer; only let his iron hard stare bore into his brother.

"Oh, hey!" Mikey interjected. "I'm gonna go practice some katas right now. See ya!"

The younger turtle slipped past his brother and went to the training area. Instead of following, Don sat in his lab chair and seethed considerably. He couldn't wait till the end of the day when everyone went to bed and he could sit up as late as he wanted – that is, if Master Splinter wouldn't scold the turtle.

* * *

A delicious smell wafted through the air. It travelled on whatever air currents passed through the lair and up to Mikey's bedroom where Lindsay still slept. She had been there for nearly four hours, and she slowly began to regain consciousness. Breathing in, the lizard girl wondered what smelled so good. Had someone lit a candle? As she woke up more, she realized that was no candle – it was food! Rolling over on her back, she let out a sigh, which gave way to a yawn. Lindsay rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes and pushed herself off the bed with great effort.

A soft knock startled her. "Who is it?"

The door opened and in stepped Raphael. Lindsay frowned upon seeing the giant turtle. "So ya are awake!" Raph said happily. "I was just coming to get you up. Saves me the trouble I guess."

"Yes it does," Lindsay said half sarcastically.

"So are ya ready for lunch?"

"Lunch?!"

"Well, yeah. It's almost 1:30."

"Wow…" Lindsay sighed. "That was a long nap."

Raph took her hand, smiling genuinely at her. "Come on," he said, his eyes sparkling.

"Sure," she said flatly. As they left the room, she asked, "By the way, what is that yummy smell?"

"Oh, Mikey made brownies," Raph said nonchalantly.

"Ooh, sounds good!"

The turtle chuckled. "They _are_ good! My bro makes the best."

When they arrived in the kitchen, they were greeted by a beaming Mikey who was just taking the freshly baked brownies out of the oven.

"Well, hellooo, hello!" the blue-eyed turtle said cheerily, setting the brownies on the counter.

"Hi, Mikey!" Lindsay giggled.

"Well, why don't we sit down?" Raph offered cordially.

"Uh…Thank you," Lindsay stammered, and went to her seat. The burly turtle sat next to her, not daring to take his eyes off such a beauty. "Where are the other two?" she asked.

"They'll be here soon," Raph assured.

Mikey came through with plates, silverware, napkins, and glasses, setting everything neatly on the table. He danced back through the kitchen, pulling out the drinks and platters of sandwiches he had also made. When he set those on the table, Lindsay's eyes widened at the delicious assortment of sandwiches on the platter.

"Oh my goodness!" she gasped.

"Sandwiches, m' lady," Mikey said graciously. "The finest in all of New York City!" Indicating all the sections on the platter, he continued presenting the food. "On this side, we have ham. Over here, we have cheese and turkey. Here, we have roast beef and provolone, and here we have chicken and cheese – which tastes about the same as turkey and cheese. And last, we have ham and provolone on this side."

"Ooh!" said Lindsay, her eyes glowing. "What kind of bread did you make it with?"

"Plain old white Italian bread," said Mikey. "But it's oh-so-good."

"That's good to hear!" Lindsay beamed.

"Which one would you like?" asked Raph.

"Mmmm, I'll take the ham and provolone…please."

"All right," said Raph, reaching for one of the sandwiches in the middle. He placed it on her plate in a gentleman-like manner, which made Lindsay marvel a bit. But she said nothing except, "Thank you."

"No prob," the red-masked turtle grinned.

"Would you like juice, or water?" Mikey said quickly.

"Juice is fine."

"Great!"

The blue-eyed turtle poured the juice in her glass.

"What's with the royal treatment?" said Donatello from behind. Mikey quickly turned around as Raph and Lindsay looked up in surprise. Don moved up to the table. "You seem more gentlemanly than usual," he addressed Raph.

"I suppose you could adopt the same behavior, too," Raph challenged.

"Don't make me lose my appetite, Raphael," Don responded with an edgy tone.

"Donatello!" an elderly voice snapped. Don's body stiffened. "That is quite enough!"

The purple-masked turtle avoided eye contact with his father, and quietly took his seat at the table.

"Michelangelo, see if you can help Leonardo."

"On it, Sensei!" Mikey said eagerly, and pranced to the living room.

"Now then," the rat smiled. "Let's get ready to eat!"

Lindsay stared in shock at the rat, obviously still petrified at his appearance.

"Oh," said Raph. "I don't think we properly introduced you guys. Lindsay, this is Master Splinter. Splinter, Lindsay McIntire."

"Well then," the lizard cleared her throat. "It's nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine, my dear," Splinter bowed respectfully.

"Now we can eat!" said Raph, taking his portion.

"You must wait for your brothers," the rat chuckled.

"Right," the turtle responded, setting his food on his plate.

* * *

Lunch was pleasant – except for Donatello's presence. Raph and Mikey chatted endlessly with Lindsay, with Splinter and Leo joining in whenever possible. They talked about everything, from the turtles' fascinating story of how they were mutated, to education, to the turtles' adventures and epic battles with the Shredder, and so on. All of this impressed Lindsay so much, she forgot her troubles. She even forgot she was a lizard.

Something about this family made her feel at home. These brothers were great fun to be around – except for Donatello. She even felt comfortable around Splinter and saw him as less of a disgusting sewer rodent, and more of a friend. Eventually, the conversation led to questions about Lindsay's home and family life. She felt a little uncomfortable with being asked, but she answered the questions anyway.

"So," Raph said first. Mikey pouted slightly; this was the umpteenth time he was interrupted. "Got any brothers or sisters?"

Swallowing her food, she answered mildly, "I have a sister."

"Cool," said the dark-skinned turtle. "How old is she?"

"Um," she said hesitantly. "She's fourteen. …Still a baby, yet."

"Is she in school?" Mikey asked next.

"Yes, she is."

"Does she share the same interests as you?" Splinter wondered.

"Sort of," said Lindsay quietly. "She's studying biology right now. She's considering that to be her major in college."

Donatello cast a side glance at Lindsay, but said nothing. The topic of biology – or anything related to that – interested him. But he stayed quiet and cased inside his hard exterior, much like Raph did most of the time. Leonardo noticed that Lindsay seemed a bit unsettled by family questions, and decided to change the subject.

"Lindsay," he said simply with a light smile. "What other foods do you like?"

The lizard's face lit up, and the sparkle returned to her eyes. "Oh, good question," she grinned. "There's a lot of different kinds I like…"

* * *

After lunch, Raphael and Michelangelo talked and laughed incessantly with Lindsay while Donatello strolled past them into his lab. He pretended they weren't there – it was all he could do to keep his sanity. Shuffling up to his chair, he stopped and took a deep breath before sitting down. Don retrieved his headphones off the keyboard of his computer and brought up his music files. He casually scrolled through the titles, not sure what he wanted to listen to, and not entirely interested in any particular style. Finally, he settled for just hitting the shuffle button and letting the music play.

The playlist was a nice blend of techno and generic movie and trailer music, with a little dub step mixed in. How wonderful it was to get lost in the music! Every measure and note that played drowned out the real world and lifted his spirits. Yes, music was the perfect getaway for him.

Donatello had become so wrapped up in the music, that he hadn't heard Lindsay's footsteps. She cautiously approached the chair and peered around it. The turtle's eyes were closed, making it seem as if he was in deep thought. Lindsay marveled at this. Beforehand, she had seen more of Donnie's bad side than his good side. Now he seemed utterly calm and peaceful, as if he was in another world somewhere. Looking up at the screen, she almost giggled, for she had recognized more than half the titles in the playlist. Albums and artists such as _Break of Reality_, _Two Steps from Hell_, _Skrillex_, and _The Piano Guys_ were on the screen.

"What are you doing in here?"

Lindsay jumped and gasped. Slowly turning her head, she saw that Don had indeed opened his eyes and was staring at her, again with that same coldness she had seen at lunch time.

"Um," the lizard stammered. "I was just- l-looking at your…playlist. I…I hope…you don't mind."

Reaching forward, Donnie paused the music and moved his headphones down to his neck. "Yes I do mind," he said with a hint of annoyance. "What I wouldn't mind right now is if you leave my turf."

The lizard's face flushed red with anger. "I beg your pardon?!"

"You heard me. You're trespassing right now."

"How dare you speak to me like that?!" she snapped.

"Excuse me?" Don raised his eyebrows.

"Out of all four of you turtles, _you_ are the_ rudest_!"

The turtle blinked, unsure of how to respond.

"Don't you ever show respect for anyone but yourself?!" By this point, Lindsay was boiling. "My life is odd enough right now! And I don't need idiots like _you_ making it worse!"

Donnie seethed – and it was quite visible. "…First off, I don't particularly appreciate being insulted like that. Second, how about _you_ try being woken up before 5 AM to someone screaming at the top of their lungs because of a tail!"

"Let me reiterate something, buster!" Lindsay burst. "I'm still kind of new to this mutant thing, all right? So far, I've gotten support from everyone in this family _but_ you! Do you think you could find a little kindness in your stone cold heart and try exercising it?"

Don only stared. He didn't have an answer ready for that one.

"…Why are you like this anyway?" Lindsay asked in a calmer tone. "What's making you so bitter?"

The turtle looked away for a moment, rubbing his neck as if something bothered him. Indeed, something was bothering him; and he had to figure out how to reveal it.

"Are you okay?" the lizard asked.

Donnie only sighed. "No…I'm not okay," he said in a shaky voice.

"…What happened?" she said slowly.

The turtle struggled to speak; every time he tried, his voice would catch in his throat. His emotions were in a terrible mess, making it harder to talk about his experience. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up; when Lindsay's eyes met his, she could see a horrid fear and severe anguish in his face. She gazed at him knowingly.

"Did someone abuse you…?" she said quietly.

"What would you know about anything like that?"

"A friend of mine suffered physical and mental abuse once. …So what's your answer?"

Don sucked in a breath; instead of speaking, he nodded his head, which made knots form in Lindsay's stomach.

"How bad…?"

Lifting his head, Don said hoarsely, "It was one of my worst nightmares come true."

Lindsay's face fell. She pondered on this for a minute. The hate inside her withered away, and pity grew in its place. "Do you guys always go through this?"

Don rested his chin on his knuckles and answered, "Not all the time. But when we do, it messes up our mental state…and sometimes, puts a strain on our relationship with each other."

A lump formed in Lindsay's throat. She quickly wiped away some tears from her eyes. Deep inside, she hated hearing this – and it brought images to her mind of her abused friend's appearance. After a minute, they glanced at each other again.

"…I'm sorry," Don said earnestly. "I should have known better…than to take out my anger on you." Sighing, he added, "I'm a terrible person to be around."

"I'll forgive you for that," Lindsay replied, a light smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Now I understand why you were…you know…a crab."

Don sighed and leaned his head back against the chair.

"…Do you need some alone time?" the girl asked.

"If you please," the turtle said quietly.

Lindsay removed her hand from his shoulder and silently left the lab. She looked back once, expecting the hate to return. But it didn't. She felt extreme pity for Donatello. She wanted to help him cope; to help him heal. But how was she to help him? She could relate the story of her abused friend; but then again, she felt that would do little to ease his pain. What to do?

"Hey, what's wrong?" said Mikey suddenly.

"Huh? Oh, nothing…" Lindsay said dismissively.

"So you found out…" Mikey said quietly.

Lindsay nodded meekly. The blue-eyed turtle sighed, his gaze dropping to the floor.

"You have no idea," Raph joined in, "the hell that kid went through."

The lizard's face crashed. "Need I ask about the extremity of it?"

"How much did he tell you?" the red-masked turtle asked.

"He only told me that it was one of his worst nightmares come true."

The dark-skinned turtle nodded. "It would figure why he won't tell you…_everything_."

Lindsay gulped. "I um…I need a moment…" she said awkwardly.

"You can sit by Leo in the living room," Mikey offered. "He might be asleep, so he won't be much of a bother."

"Thank you," said Lindsay and slowly went to the living room.

The two turtles watched her go, both equally concerned about her and their afflicted brother.

"You think she'll be okay?" asked Mikey.

"I think so," Raph said confidently. "She just needs a little space, ya know? Like, think about it for a while."

"Yeah," Mikey sighed. "…I'm gonna go see if Donnie's okay." Without waiting for Raph to say anything, the orange-masked turtle walked briskly into the lab. Peering around the chair, Mikey was taken aback at the sight of Donnie doubled over with his face in his hands, and sobbing pitifully.

"Oh my gosh, Donnie!" Mikey said quickly, grasping his brother by the shoulders. "Why you cryin', man?"

"It's…it's just…" Donnie choked, wiping the tears away. "Just leftover emotions…"

Mikey leaned on his brother's shell. "It's okay, bro. You'll be fine. Don't worry about those guys; they're in the past."

"I wish I could forget," Donnie moaned.

The blue-eyed turtle sniffed a little. Prolonged sadness was something he never liked too much. He wanted Donatello to be happy; to forget the hellish abuse. But to forget something like that is easier said than done, as was evidenced by Don's endless nightmares the past few weeks. Often, he would wake up screaming so loud, the entire family would be awakened and trying to comfort him all at once. The nightmares eventually stopped, but he was no less moody. His temper flared up out of the blue one time too many, causing him to be more distant from his brothers. And Lindsay's high-pitched screech (because of her tail) too early in the morning put the icing on the cake.

Mikey sighed heavily. "I'm so sorry, bro," he said hoarsely. "I wish I had an answer for you." A little tear slipped down his cheek; but he didn't bother wiping it. There were times when he would cry with his brother – or brothers – if need be. This was one of those times. Presently, Raph came in. He gazed down at his brothers, feeling a great amount of sadness. Kneeling down, he rubbed Don's arms gently, and pulled him close. Raph didn't feel the need to say anything. He figured words and feelings communicated through silence were better.

* * *

**Whoa, what's up with Don? Hellish abuse? Nightmares? I will expound on this in the next chapters. **


End file.
